[Mishnah] ALL [PERSONS] ARE FIT TO EVALUATE OR TO BE MADE THE SUBJECTS OF VALUATION, ARE FIT TO VOW [ANOTHER'S WORTH] OR HAVE THEIR WORTH VOWED: — PRIESTS, LEVITES AND [ORDINARY] ISRAELITES, WOMEN AND SLAVES.

PERSONS OF UNKNOWN SEX AND HERMAPHRODITES ARE FIT TO VOW [ANOTHER'S WORTH], OR TO HAVE THEIR WORTH VOWED, AND ARE FIT TO EVALUATE, BUT THEY ARE NOT FIT TO BE MADE THE SUBJECTS OF VALUATION, FOR THE SUBJECT OF VALUATION MAY BE ONLY A PERSON DEFINITELY EITHER MALE OR FEMALE.

A DEAF-MUTE, AN IMBECILE, OR A MINOR ARE FIT TO HAVE THEIR WORTH VOWED OR BE MADE THE SUBJECT OF VALUATION, BUT THEY ARE NOT FIT TO MAKE EITHER A VOW [OF ANOTHER'S WORTH] OR TO EVALUATE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO MIND.

גמ׳ הכל מעריכין לאתויי מאי לאתויי

[Gemarah] What does ALL [PERSONS] ARE FIT TO EVALUATE mean to include?

מופלא סמוך לאיש

— It is meant to include one close to manhood who must be examined.

נערכין לאתויי מאי

What does [ALL7 ARE] FIT TO BE MADE THE SUBJECTS OF VALUATION mean to include? —

לאתויי מנוול ומוכה שחין

It is meant to include a person disfigured, or one afflicted with boils.

A vow according to thy valuation, that only such persons as are fit to be made the subjects of a vow [as regards their worth], are fit to be made subjects of a valuation, and that persons who are unfit to be made subjects of a vow [as regards their worth], are also unfit to be made subjects of a valuation, hence Scripture informs us: of persons. i.e.,

— What is to be included [in the phrase ALL] ARE FIT TO HAVE THEIR WORTH VOWED? Is it to include persons of unknown sex or hermaphrodites — but they are expressly stated [in our Mishnah]! Again is it to include a deaf-mute, an imbecile and a minor — they too are expressly stated! And if it is to include a person below the age of one month — that too is expressly mentioned! And again if it is to include an idolater — he too is expressly mentioned!

לעולם לאתויי פחות מבן חודש ותני והדר מפרש

— In reality it is meant to include a person below the age of one month; and the Mishnah states it [by implication] and later on expressly mentions it.

הכל סומכין לאתויי מאי

What does ‘All persons are obliged to lay on hands’ mean to include?

לאתויי יורש ודלא כרבי יהודה

— It is meant to include the heir, and this against the view of R. Judah.

הכל ממירין לאתויי מאי

What does ‘All persons can effect a substitute’ mean to include? —

לאתויי יורש ודלא כרבי יהודה

That, too, means to include the heir, in contrast to the view of R. Judah.

דתניא

For it was taught:

יורש סומך יורש מימר

An heir must lay on hands, an heir can effect a substitute.

ר' יהודה אומר

R. Judah says:

יורש אינו סומך יורש אינו מימר

An heir does not lay on hands, and an heir cannot effect a substitute.

מאי טעמא דרבי יהודה

What is the reason of R. Judah's view?

(ויקרא א, ג) קרבנו ולא קרבן אביו

— [Scripture says:] His offering,(Leviticus 1:3) i.e., but not his father's offering.

ויליף תחלת הקדש מסוף הקדש

And he infers the rule concerning the commencement of the dedication of the animal from the rule governing its end.

מה סוף הקדש יורש אינו סומך אף תחלת הקדש יורש אינו מימר

Just as at the end of the dedication the heir does not lay on hands, thus also at the beginning he cannot effect a substitute.

ורבנן

And the Rabbis?

(ויקרא כז, י) המר ימיר לרבות את היורש

— [Scripture says redundantly:] And if he shall at all change — that included the heir.(Leviticus 27:10)

וילפינן סוף הקדש מתחלת הקדש מה תחלת הקדש

And we infer the rule concerning the end of the dedication from the rule governing the commencement of the dedication.

יורש מימר אף סוף הקדש יורש סומך

Just as at the beginning of the dedication the heir has power to effect a substitute, so at the end is he obliged to lay his hands on the animal's head.

‘his offering’, but not the offering of an idolater; ‘his offering’, but not the offering of his neighbour; ‘his offering. i.e., to include all who have a share in the ownership of a sacrifice in the duty to lay on hands.

ורבי יהודה לרבות כל בעלי חוברין לסמיכה לית ליה

And R. Judah? — He does not hold that all who have a share in the ownership share the obligation of laying hands thereon;